Step inside the nearly 21,000-square-foot suburban Chicago jewelry store with Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff.
7 great studs for the holiday season
Studs in geometric shapes and with colored gemstones are styles retailers should consider stocking alongside classic diamond earrings this Christmas.
“I think no matter what, your top stud is going to be a diamond stud,” says Jennifer Gandia, co-owner of Greenwich Jewelers in Manhattan. “The diamond halo (stud) is a classic style, we sell a lot of those during the holidays, but there are companies that are now reinterpreting that.”
How, you may ask? By substituting the diamonds for gemstones, Gandia says.
“I think colored gemstones as a stud will be very popular this year. Designers are giving the stud a little bit of a fresher look by adding a rose-cut labradorite with a diamond frame, or some other kind of popular, contemporary gemstone. We buy that style, as well as a lot of Jamie Joseph bezel-set stud earrings we sold last year.”
Gandia says her store also sells a lot of Zoe Chicco studs, specifically her pyramid-shaped earrings.
“Geometric shapes are definitely popular, and we did order a lot of geometric styles this year. It will remain to be seen if that’s a popular item, or if it’s more of a self-purchase. But that’s OK too, because when women shop they think, ‘One for you, one for me.’ They buy it for themselves, so you still need to have that product.”
Self-purchasing might extend beyond trendy geometric styles this holiday season.
In Brattleboro, Vt. at Evan James Ltd., owner Evan James Deutsch says he recently had a woman self-purchase a pair of diamond studs. Still, he says the majority of people buying this style are husbands for wives, or boyfriends for girlfriends.
However, there’s a newer style at the store--“a different take on diamond studs,” Deutsch says--that will be popular this year.
“We’re starting to sell multi-diamond studs, like four 20-point diamonds that together look like a 1-carat diamond, but at a much less expensive price point,” he says.
Traditional pearl studs are also a best-selling category at the store, the American Gem Society jeweler says. Pearls ranging in size from 4 to 7 mm with a diamond accent or diamond bezel sell for weddings, Valentine’s Day and the holiday season.
Price-point wise, Deutsch
“But, the $200 to $300 range is the bread-and-butter of any successful retailer jeweler,” he says.
When it comes to diamond studs, Deutsch says he carries pairs that range anywhere from $100 into the five figures, “but I think that a $700 to $1,200 is a good price point for diamond studs. We have a diamond trade-in guarantee, so if you buy a pair from us and want to change it for a larger pair (later), then you get all of your purchase price back.”
Aside from being a staple holiday season jewelry purchase year after year, stud earrings were a common fixture on the red carpet in 2014.
At the Golden Globes in January, celebrities wore large diamond stud earrings and gold earrings with diamond pave on the red carpet. The same looks were spotted at the Emmy Awards and at MTV’s Video Music Awards, among other star-studded events.
At the JA New York Summer show in July, Jewelers of America’s Director of Public Relations and Special Events Amanda Gizzi stated in a seminar on trend forecasting that “abstract minimalism” would be a trend for the upcoming holiday season and into 2015.
She defined abstract minimalism as jewelry with clean lines, unfussy silhouettes, diamond pavé, pearl accents and high-quality materials, noting that “A focus on quality is what allows the minimalism to work, with pavé and pearl accents.”
Stud earrings can provide all of these on-trend qualities: clean lines and unfussy silhouettes rule geometric pieces, and diamond pavé around gemstones fits with popular diamond-framed gemstone pairs that sell well at Greenwich Jewelers. High-quality materials include studs made in gold, platinum and silver with gemstones and diamonds.
“Larger cluster ‘stud’ earrings give maximum impact and bling for the budget,” Gizzi tells National Jeweler. “Colored gemstones and diamond versions are great gifts.”
This story originally appeared in the inaugural issue of National Jeweler’s online-only magazine. View the entire publication here.
The Latest
These punk-inspired earrings from the new Canadian brand’s debut collection reveal the alter ego of the classic pearl.
The company brings its nanotechnology to two new fancy cuts for diamonds that feature its signature color and brilliance.
From protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
Sponsored by Tasha R
Three Titanic survivors presented him with the personalized Tiffany & Co. timepiece about a year after the tragedy.
A federal court found that the jewelry store chain violated terms of the settlement reached after it was accused of defrauding customers.
This fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
Cynthia Erivo chose Dreams of Hope, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQA+ youth, as the charity for this year’s collection.
The new space was designed to evoke a warm, inviting vibe.
Kinney, who spent nearly 30 years at IJO, has been hired to head Abbott Jewelry Systems’ new virtual marketplace.
The auction house was accused of helping clients avoid paying taxes on millions of dollars’ worth of art purchased from 2010 to 2020.
The four finalists will present their pieces at the 2025 JCK Las Vegas show.
The “Camera Oscura” collection showcases earring designs celebrating female Surrealist artists Claude Cahun and Leonor Fini.
The money will fund the planting of 10,000 trees in critical areas across Oregon, Arizona, Montana, and other regions.
The event centered on advancing jewelry manufacturing technology will return to Detroit in May 2025.
Local reports identified the woman as the wife of the jewelry store owner.
A collection of pieces owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family, blew away estimates in Geneva last week.
The Australian jewelry box brand’s new West Village store will showcase new jewelers each month through its Designer in Residence program.
“Lovechild” was created in partnership with Carolyn Rafaelian’s Metal Alchemist brand.
Hampton discussed how Helzberg is improving the customer experience and why it was inspired by the company formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts.
The group will host several curated events and an exhibition of designer jewelry made with Peruvian gold traceable to the miners’ names.
The collection honors the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” song, which shares a birth year with Kendra Scott.
This year’s theme asks designers to take inspiration from classic fairy tales.
Senior Editor Lenore Fedow makes the case for why more jewelers should be appealing to nerds at the annual event.
The latest “Raiz’in” drop showcases a newly designed “Scapular” necklace and donates a portion of the proceeds to Make-A-Wish France.
No. 1 out of 100, the timepiece was created to mark Citizen’s 100th anniversary and will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s next month.